Fearless Huwebes: Anderson Silva Must Bow Down to the Real King of War

After watching what happened last Saturday during UFC 97 at the Bell Centre, I was totally stunned.

Anderson Silva is supposed to be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world of mixed martial arts after getting some brutal knockouts in the octagon and defending the championship belt at middleweight many times in his legendary career.

He was supposed to be the face of the sport he represented, but look at what happened.

The crowd, which expected to get its money’s worth, repeatedly booed his dull performance, jaded expression, and frustrated attempts to provoke his challenger into fighting, and in the fourth and fifth rounds took to dancing, lowering his guard and whacking his rival without retribution.

UFC President Dana White was utterly embarrassed and infuriated at what Silva did in his latest defense of the belt. Even I, a non-UFC fan, was annoyed at what he has done to his reputation.

His mythical ranking is also identical with his boxing counterpart, Manny “PACMAN” Pacquiao, who embodies what a true pound-for-pound king is.

Silva must watch all of Pacquiao's fights just so he can get back to what he really is: a monster who always gives the fans what they pay for—excitement, drama, and highlight-reel knockouts.

Pacquiao doesn’t lack any of those three factors whenever he fights. That’s why neither his promoter nor his fans all over the globe complain about his style of fighting.

He doesn’t have boring fights, even before he became a bona fide superstar. He earned the right to be a true pound-for-pound king through hard work and dedication.

If there was a true symbol of every sport we watch, Pacquiao would have to represent boxing. He is one of the reasons why boxing is the most electrifying and exciting sport right now.

He is a real king of war.

Pacquiao transcends the sport that he personifies every time he fights. He always fights for the fans and when he does, even the most casual boxing fans around the world stop and appreciate what he is doing in the ring.

There is no one in combat sports right now that can match his overall status and appeal to all of us.

Silva must do his homework before he can even call himself a king in the sport that he supposedly exemplifies.

What really matters most is not how you win the fight, but whether or not hordes of fans are cheering deafeningly on your side because they got what they were looking for—real action, and lots of it.

“Boxing is the ultimate challenge. There's nothing that can compare to testing yourself the way you do every time you step in the ring.”